


Making Memories

by im_fairly_witty



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Baby Coco - Freeform, Daddy-daughter fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 12:50:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14081301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_fairly_witty/pseuds/im_fairly_witty
Summary: Being a new parent is HARD, especially the no-sleep part, but Héctor tries to love every moment of it.





	Making Memories

Héctor was awoken by the sound of crying. Wavering and pitiful and piercing.

He sighed a very long sigh, burying his face in Imelda’s hair as he held her close.

“I just fed her.” Imelda moaned into her pillow as Coco continued to cry from her cradle nearby their bed. “She’s just being fussy, let her cry it out.”

“No…I’ll get her.” Héctor said blearily, propping himself up on his elbow.

“She’ll never sleep through the night if you spoil her like this.” Imelda said, her voice soft with half-sleep.

“Nonsense, you can’t spoil a baby.” Héctor said, nuzzling the side of her head.

“Well then please go not-spoil your daughter already.” Imelda said, her fatigue making its way into her voice as the baby’s cries grew louder.

Héctor pushed himself up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, groaning as he rubbed his face. Everyone had warned them having a newborn would be hard, but they somehow hadn’t quite communicated the mind-numbing drudgery of never sleeping again.

Héctor stood as the cries turned into wails, walking to the wooden rocking cradle Imelda’s brothers had made for them.

“Shh shh shh.” Héctor whispered, reaching down to gently scoop up his baby girl, her face red and distressed from crying.

“Hey,” He said, putting Coco against his shoulder and gently swaying back and forth as he rubbed her back. “It’s okay mija, Papa’s got you, it’s okay.”

Socorro’s crying quieted to gasping hiccups as he rocked her. Héctor looked over to see Imelda was asleep, she hadn’t even pulled the covers back over herself before passing out again. Héctor carefully held Coco against him with one arm and reached to flick the blankets back over Imelda, then quietly ducked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Coco’s tiny gasps had quieted to soft whimpering by the time Héctor walked onto the front porch of their home. The balmy summer night air brushed past them as he sat down on the steps with a stiff groan.

“Look Mariposa,” Héctor said seriously, shifting to hold Coco in the crook of his arm, careful to support her tiny head. “If you end up killing your mamá and I from exhaustion then no one’s going to be around to feed you. Then where will you be?”

Coco stared up at him, her big brown eyes still a little teary, but blinking up at him in the silver moonlight. She stretched her little hands out and cooed, absolutely melting the part of Héctor that was awake.

“It’s an awfully good thing that you’re perfect.” Héctor said, stifling a yawn as he leaned his head against the railing beside him.

He held his hand in front of her and her tiny hand latched onto his finger with surprising strength, making him smile. “You’re a strong one, aren’t you mija.” he said gently, shifting her more securely close to his chest.

She still had that milky sweet baby scent. Imelda said it would disappear soon, making Héctor want to treasure it as securely as he could in his memory. He started to hum gently as his little girl blinked up at him, her breathing as calm and steady as his own now.

She’d only been with them for a few weeks and she’d already grown so much. Of course she had an awfully long way to go before she began crawling or even speaking, before she would be able to walk or to dance, to sing and play music, to have her quinceanera, to meet a man of her own, to-

Héctor shook his head, smiling at himself. Everyone said she would grow up faster than they could imagine, he didn’t need to hurry it up in his own head.

“Let’s just focus on right now, sí?” He said to Coco, whose eyelids were growing heavy as she continued to stare up at him.

“That’s it, sleep does sound nice, doesn’t it?” Héctor said softly, carefully standing so he could rock her more easily.

Héctor sighed as Coco’s eyes finally closed, her hold on his finger relaxing as she drifted back to sleep. He silently climbed back up the steps and carried her back into the house.

Yes, she would probably be up again within the hour, and so would he, but how much would he miss these kind of moments in the years to come? Everyone said children grew up quickly, he knew that if he didn’t try to savor these first weeks he would never have that chance again.

That said, he couldn’t help being grateful that she’d fallen back asleep so quickly. Nostalgia or not, he really did need to get some rest if he was going to be able to function tomorrow.

Or, later that day? He didn’t want to think about it.

He slipped into the bedroom and ever so carefully set Coco back in her cradle. Héctor climbed back into bed, snuggling up to Imelda and settling in with a sigh, willing himself to sleep as quickly as he could before he was summoned again.

Héctor knew all too well how easily family memories slipped away if you weren’t careful, his childhood memories of his own mother were as worn and faded as an old photograph.

It was going to be different with Coco though. Even if he was exhausted, even if it was the hundredth time that week, he was going to make sure he didn’t take a single moment of his perfect little family for granted.


End file.
